Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 166

ECONOMIC REPORT
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENT REPORT
163
A
/ DESIGN
For many years, the Audi brand has enjoyed an outstanding
reputation for unmistakable design. It is our ambition to ad-
vance our design strategy universally, without abandoning the
existing design idiom. We want to differentiate more between
the individual model lines in the future. At the same time,
more technical aspects will become evident in their design.
At the Detroit Motor Show in January 2014, we presented the
Audi allroad shooting brake showcar – a unique crossover con-
cept for all roads and tracks, for everyday and leisure use. The
vehicle combines a host of visual elements from future sports
car models with the typical allroad concept and the indepen-
dent body form of the Audi allroad shooting brake. Form and
function become one. An aluminum underbody guard at both
front and rear accentuates the vehicle’s width. It also provides
protection for off-road driving. The design elements that are
typical of e-tron models, such as the ribs in the Singleframe
grille and in the side air inlets, fit in harmoniously with the
overall design concept. The dual headlights and honeycomb-
structured Singleframe grille indicate the further development
of the quattro design language, which Audi already presented
with its Sport quattro concept showcar and the Audi nanuk
quattro concept at the International Motor Show (IAA) in
Frankfurt am Main in September 2013. In the sphere of inter-
ior design too, the Audi allroad shooting brake embodies the
Audi philosophy of lightweight construction, sporty elegance
and ease of operation. Seen from above, the dashboard resem-
bles the wing of an aircraft, with the round air vents evoking
the engines.
Audi allroad shooting brake
/
INNOVATIONS FOR SAFETY AND COMFORT
// DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS
Our extensive range of innovative driver assistance systems
makes driving even more convenient for our customers. De-
spite the growing significance of technological solutions, the
driver ultimately always remains in charge of the vehicle.
The array of driver assistance systems on board the new A3
models means we have now transferred technologies from the
full-size category to our compact vehicles, redefining the
benchmark in that segment. As a result, drivers of the new A3
benefit from the optional Audi adaptive cruise control (ACC)
function, which automatically maintains a chosen safety clear-
ance from the vehicle in front with the help of a sensor. ACC
accelerates and slows automatically within certain limits.
Another feature, which is integral to ACC, is the pre sense front
function. If there is the risk of a collision with the vehicle in
front, depending on the situation it either warns the driver or
provides braking assistance. The optional safety system Audi
pre sense basic – a safety technology that is already mainstream
in our full-size segment – is likewise available in the A3 models.
The integral secondary-collision brake assist function, which is
activated in a collision, automatically brakes the vehicle to
prevent it from continuing to roll in an uncontrolled manner.